TORONTO –Domenic Vannelli has been appointed as executive producer of French-language coverage as part of the CTV-Rogers Media Consortium covering the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Winter Games.
As well, Gerry Frappier has been named as French Chef de Mission of the CTV-Rogers Media Consortium, and he will oversee all French-language coverage of the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games.
Vannelli will continue to serve in his current role as vice-president of production at RDS. He will report to Rick Chisholm, executive vice-president of broadcasting, effective immediately. Vannelli will be responsible for all aspects of French-language production, including live event and studio, for the planned combined 1,100 hours of French-language coverage of both Games.
Raised in Montreal, Vannelli speaks French, English and Italian, and has worked at RDS since 1990 and was executive producer for the network’s coverage of the last four Olympic Games.
Frappier will continue to serve in his current role as RDS president and general manager. The Montreal native will help develop the Olympic television coverage.
He joined RDS in 1998, where he is currently responsible for programming, production, acquisitions, sales and marketing. In 2000, Frappier helped obtain the Category 1 digital specialty licence, RIS Info Sports, and oversaw the launch of the 24-hour all-sports news service in 2004.
“We are offering unprecedented coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in terms of quality, depth and hours on multiple platforms, giving more choice and access than ever before. We are committed to making these the best Olympic Games Canadians have ever seen, regardless of which official language they choose to watch them in,” said Frappier.
CTV-Rogers has arranged for TQS, RDS and RIS Info Sports to be available outside of Quebec and the national capital region free-of-charge during the Olympic Games.
TQS will televise a total of 201 hours during the Vancouver Olympics, averaging 12 hours per day of live with prime-time coverage of every sport; RDS will present 304 hours of coverage (19 hours per day), with an emphasis on sports/athletes of particular interest to the French market; and RIS Info Sports will provide 45 hours of coverage, with live event coverage and 15-minute updates every hour.
All French-language coverage of the Games will be produced by RDS, which currently produces nearly all sports coverage in Quebec.
RDS’s Montreal office will be the headquarters for CTV-Rogers’ French-language coverage of the Olympic Games.
